


The Song Nobody Knows

by mrs_squirrel_chester



Series: The Riley Files [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean Winchester / Original Female Character - Freeform, F/M, Original Female Character - Freeform, Sam Winchester Original Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 16:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4883488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_squirrel_chester/pseuds/mrs_squirrel_chester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of the Riley Files. "The song nobody knows, because anyone who has heard it is dead, and the others can't remember." Riley Messer gets seriously hurt one night. Problem is, she can't remember by what, or why she was there. Can Dean and Sam find out before anyone else gets hurt? Rated T for language and violence. THIS MIGHT CHANGE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dark red drops stood out against the bright white snow. Riley furrowed her brows in confusion as small drops gave way to much larger, darker ones. She coughed roughly, choking on something deep in her throat. She lifted a hand to her mouth, and pressed it against her lips, giving a guttural groan as she stared at her fingers. They were covered in the same red that colored the snow at her feet. She suddenly became aware of a burning sensation in her stomach. It was hot, and wet. With shaking hands, she reached down and ripped at the silk shirt that clung to her. Hot blood cascaded out of the gaping wound, dissolving any snow it touched. Riley landed hard on her knees, driving the air from her lungs with a pained groan. She pressed her hands against the wound, trying to keep the blood where it belonged, but it refused to cooperate, flowing at an alarming rate.

The creature that sliced into her soft skin was gone, having loped into the woods once her blood had been spilt. Its song, carried on the cold breeze, chilled her more than the weather. She craned her neck, pushing her head into the snow, and looked at her surroundings. No one was around. Worse yet, she didn’t remember how she got there.

"God damn it!" She cried out in pain as she fumbled for the cell phone in her back pocket. Leaving bloody streaks along the screen, she quickly located Dean's number.

He answered after the first ring, "Hey, sexy."

Panic gripped her voice, holding it hostage. She struggled to speak around the large lump, but it stuck, strangling her voice, "I- I'm at the park, Dean."

Dean snapped his fingers to get his brother's attention, "What happened?"

"I'm hurt, and- fuck… I'm scared." She couldn't fight the pain anymore, it was almost too much to bear. She moaned low and heavy in her throat before her teeth started to chatter.

The hunter ground out a curse as he shoved stocking feet into his boots, his brother right behind him, "Where in the park are you?"

Riley groaned as she writhed on the snow packed ground. All she could see was trees, the outlines of the slide, and the swings. "B- by the swings."

"Hang on, baby. We're coming. Stay on the line with me, ok?"

"Dean… hurry."

Sam threw his brother the car keys that were in the little dish by the door. He had his own phone out, a direct line to Riley's Sergeant. All he needed was her location.

"She's at the park, by the swings."

Sam pressed the call button and waited for Sergeant Waters to answer, "10-13, officer down at the park, injuries unknown."

* * *

 

Dean leapt over the railing and onto the ground below, running toward the fallen form as fast as he could; his younger brother close behind him. Their breath clouded the air as they ran through the ankle deep snow. Dean worked to fight down the fear that was clawing through his chest. He slid to a stop in the snow that was laden with blood. The phone call had dropped not long after the Impala sped out of the driveway. The phone was still in her hand, but her fingers had gone lax. Her face was cold to the touch, partly from the snow, mostly from the loss of blood.

He fumbled for a pulse as Sam assessed the wound. Sam hissed as he removed the detective's arm. The wound was long, stretching from one hipbone to the other. Not wasting any time, he pressed a large towel he had grabbed from the trunk against her stomach. Riley groaned at the extra weight against her. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting Dean's anguish filled ones.

Dean shot his brother a look, "Where the hell is that ambulance?"

He shook his head, "Any minute."

"She doesn't have that long!"

A siren tore through the air, quickly followed by red and blue flashing lights. A voice shouted out, "Where are you?"

"HERE!" Dean stood and waved his arms in the air until a spotlight fell upon him.

* * *

 

"The hell was she doing out there, anyway?" Dean chewed on the cuticle of his thumb as he paced in the waiting room, talking more to himself than anyone else.

Sam watched his brother as Bobby's gruff voice answered the call, "Hey, kid."

"Hey, Bobby. It's not too late, is it?"

Hearing the tension in Sam's voice, Bobby leaned back in his chair, "What happened?"

"We don't know… yet. Riley's hurt."

"How bad?"

Sam looked at his lap. His jeans were stained red, as were his hands, "It's bad, Bobby."

The older hunter groaned as he ran a hand over his face, "What was she huntin'?"

"That's the weird thing, we don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Just that. There's been no signs of a case here."

"Unless she's the beginning."

Sam ran a hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck with a heavy sigh, "Ground zero."

"Call when you hear somethin'."

"Will do." Dean stopped pacing when the surgeon entered the room.

Dr. Lancaster pulled off the blue cap that held back his ginger hair. "Dean Winchester?" The hunter gave a nod as he stepped up to the doctor, feeling his brother and Sergeant Waters close in behind him.

Waters's voice was thick as he spoke, "How's she doin', Doc?"

"She's in recovery. We were able to stop the bleeding. The lacerations were deep, but all of her organs were missed, so that's good."

"Can I see her?"

Lancaster sighed, fidgeting with the cap he had worn throughout the surgery. "She's under heavy sedation right now, Dean. I don't expect her to wake up until later today."

Dean checked his watch, it was almost 4 am. "That doesn't answer my question. Can I see her?"

"I don't see why not. Just be careful."

Sam clapped his brother on the shoulder before he could leave, "I'll head back, see what I can find."

"Thank you."

Waters ran a hand over his face and groaned, "What do you need, kid?"

"I need to get back to the park, see if there's a trail."

The aging Sergeant crossed his arms over his chest. "You think something like this is gonna happen again," there was no questioning tone in his raspy voice.

"I hate to say it, but yeah, I do."

"There're a couple guys I know, good cops, trustworthy; I'll give 'em a call."

Sam arched a brow, "They know about this sort of thing?"

"Their folks were hunters."

* * *

 

The nurse that led Dean into the ICU room gave his arm a gentle squeeze, "Just be careful of the wires and everything'll be alright, dear."

He nodded, waiting until the nurse left before he really looked at Riley. She looked so small lying in the bed with a hundred wires coming out the top of her hospital gown. He worked his way around the bed, grabbing a chair from the corner as he went. With the chair as close to the bed as he could manage, Dean dropped down and covered her hand with his own. The numerous beeps from the machine monitoring every statistic he could think of wasn't as annoying as he thought it might be. His attention was focused solely on the pale detective.

"What were you doing out there, huh?" The gentle hiss of oxygen in the clear tube under her nose was his only response. He reached up, and tucked some hair behind her ear, stroking the outer shell with his thumb. "We'll find what did this to you."

* * *

 

"Sam Winchester?" Two men approached the hunter. The one that spoke had one hand held out, the other hand housed a high beam flashlight.

"Yeah, thanks for coming out."

"No problem, man. Waters said Riley got hurt?"

Sam blew out a breath, "Yeah, she's out of surgery now, though."

"That's good. Name's Connor O'Malley. This here is Jack Gustin. Wish the circumstances were different."

"Feeling's mutual, Connor."

Connor swept the flashlight over the area where Riley had fallen, "Jesus."

Jack mirrored Connor's movement and hissed before a shudder that had nothing to do with the frigid temperature rolled down his spine, "Do you know what we're huntin'?"

Sam shook his head, "Not yet. What'd Waters tell you?"

"You and your brother are hunters."

"That's it?"

Connor nodded, "That's all we needed to know."

Sam blew a puff of air into his chilled hands, "Alright then. I found some tracks that lead into the woods."

Jack and Connor nodded at the hunter, "On your six.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sam led Jack and Connor into the woods, following a set of foot prints that were unlike any he'd seen before. Curiosity finally got the better of him, and he hunkered down, running a finger along the outside of a print. It was cold enough that it hurt his bare skin. He hissed, and shook his hand, trying to get rid of the sharp pain running up his fingers, and into his arm.

Connor bent down, as well. "Find something?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"Shit, that's cold." Jack quickly pulled his hand back from a print, and shook it. He wiggled his fingers as they burned.

Connor drew his brows together as he studied the print. "What the hell is this thing?"

Sam blew out a breath as he stood, aiming his flashlight in the direction the prints headed. "I don't know, and I don't like not knowing."

The trio hiked further into the woods, the trees growing thicker with each step until finally, there was a clearing. The temperature plummeted as they broke through the last line of pine trees.

Sam's teeth started chattering while every muscle shook in the frigid air. He looked at the other men, and found that they were shaking, as well. "Wh – what is this p – place?"

Jack and Connor both shook their heads, but it was Connor who spoke through his chattering teeth. "Don't kn - know, never been b – back here b - before."

Back here consisted of an open field that was completely frozen over. Several yards from the men, the ground sloped down slowly until it completely disappeared. Sam squinted his eyes as he tried to see the other side, but there was nothing. No other land masses, no end to the frozen tundra, nothing.

A different sort of chill danced up his spine. He shook his head, and started backing up. He didn't like the look, or the feel of this place. "L – let's go, g – guys."

They all slowly backed away. Only when they were surrounded by the trees, did they turn around. All three men sprinted away from the clearing, bursting out of the woods as if some invisible force was chasing them. They bent at their waists, and gasped for air.

Sam stood first, and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "That was… weird."

Connor stood tall. "How weird is weird?"

"I've never seen anything like that, weird."

Jack's hands were shaking too much to keep his flashlight steady, so he turned it off, and shoved them in his jacket pockets. "What about Riley?"

"No, I don't think _anyone_ has seen anything like this."

"What are you thinking?" Connor's teeth were still chattering, not enough to impede his speech.

Sam faced Connor. "Are you two able to help out with research?"

"We told Waters whatever you need, man."

"Alright. Find out whatever you can about the property, and see if anything hinky has happened back… there. I'll head to the hospital."

"We have your number. We find anything, we'll call."

They each gave a nod before breaking off, Jack and Connor to their car, Sam to the Impala.

* * *

Despite the fact he had the heater on high, Sam was still chilled to the bone when he arrived at the hospital. He talked his way into the ICU room, clearing his throat gently so he didn't surprise his brother.

Dean waved his brother in, keeping his voice low when he spoke. "What'd you find?"

Sam blew into his hands. "We followed a set of prints."

"And?" Dean stood, and crossed the room to stand in front of his brother.

He shrugged as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his heavy coat. "And… I don't know, man, it was… weird. The tracks led to… a beach of sorts, only it was frozen."

"Dude, it's winter. Things freeze."

Sam rolled his eyes. "No, man, I mean the whole thing was frozen. There wasn't even any water, nothing. Just… ice."

Dean scraped a hand over his face. "Ok… so now what? I mean, she's not awake yet."

"A couple guys are helping. They're gonna hit the books, see if anything jumps out at them."

"You call Bobby, see if any of this rings a bell?"

"That was next on the agenda. But, man, I'm telling you, he's not gonna know anything."

Dean looked over his shoulder at the sedated detective. "You want to see if she remembers anything."

"That's the hope."

"Why don't we check with the surgeon, see if there was anything off about her injury?"

Sam arched a brow at his brother. "You ok leaving her?"

Dean sighed softly, and met Sam's concerned gaze. "We got work to do."

* * *

"Doctor Lancaster?" Dean knocked on the surgeon's door before pushing it open.

Lancaster spun in his chair, facing the new arrivals. "Dean? Is everything ok? Please, come in." He pointed to the chairs on the other side of the desk.

The brothers entered the room, and dropped into the chairs that were offered. Sam started the conversation when Dean hesitated. "We were just curious about the injuries Riley sustained after the attack."

Lancaster blew out a breath, and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what more I can tell you, everything is in her chart. She was cut from one hip to the other. It was deep, but not deep enough that any vital organs were hit. She lost a lot of blood, which isn't a surprise."

Seeing the look on Lancaster's face, Dean shifted in his chair. "What aren't you telling us?"

The doctor licked his lips, and ran a hand through his hair. "I… I'm not sure I should."

Dean leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Doc, if there's anyone you should tell, it's us."

Doubt clouded Lancaster's eyes. "You'll think I'm crazy."

"Trust me, we won't."

Lancaster swallowed hard, and rest his arms on the desk that was littered with patient's files. "The wound… it… it looked like someone cut her with an icicle."

Sam shifted in his chair. "An icicle?"

"Yeah, like the ones that hang from the roof, only much colder."

"Why do you say that?" Sam's hand tingled in memory of the footprint he touched.

"We had to remove some skin and tissue that was dead."

"Like frostbite?"

"Frostbite, exactly. I… I've never seen anything like it." Seeing the expression on the brother's faces, Lancaster forced a chuckle. "I told you. You think I'm crazy."

Dean shook his head. "No, we definitely do not think you're crazy."

"You say you've never seen anything like it. What about older patients? Are there any retired doctors or surgeons we can talk to?"

Lancaster shook his head as he met Sam's inquisitive gaze. "Not that I know of, but I've only been here a few years." When both brothers sighed, he dug out a pad of paper, and quickly scribbled a note. "Here, take this down to human resources. Maybe you'll find something that will help."

Dean accepted the yellow piece of paper, and nodded. "Thanks, doc."

"You'll let me know what you find."

Dean shared a look with his brother. "Sure."

Lancaster stood, and shook their hands. "If there's anything else I can do to help, let me know."

* * *

There was a pretty, little blonde behind the desk in human resources. She gave a tight-lipped smile as she adjusted her glasses. "Good morning gentlemen, how can I help you?"

Dean unfolded the paper before sliding it across the desk. "We were hoping to take a look through some old files."

Her dark green eyes flicked from Dean to Sam, finally resting on the paper from Lancaster. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for? You know, something that will help narrow down your search."

Sam shook his head gently. "Nothing in particular. Is that going to be a problem?"

She swallowed hard when her eyes met Sam's. She forced herself to look down at the note, and re-read Lancaster's instructions. "No, it's not going to be a problem. Doctor Lancaster has stated you have unrestricted access to all patient, and personnel files. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the records room."

Sam held back a chuckle when she came around the desk, she was so much shorter than she looked sitting behind the desk. It was then he realized that her chair was raised to the highest setting.

Her heels clicked on the floor, echoing in the hall as she led them to a door at the end. She used her access card, and punched in a four digit code that unlocked the door. As they entered the room, lights flickered to life above them.

Sam and Dean stared in disbelief. The room was huge.

Seeing the look of shock on their faces, she gave a small smile. "The hospital has been here since the beginning, early 1830's."

Sam began to shrug out of his coat. "I thought everything would be digital."

She chuckled softly, and tucked a strand of hair that had escaped the braid, behind her ear. "A lot of it is. Anything before 1950 isn't. We're getting more uploaded every day, but as you can see, there's a lot to enter."

Sam held out a large hand. "Well, thank you…"

She slid her much smaller one into his. "Name's Nicole Dawson."

"I'm Sam, and this is Dean."

Nicole got lost in the size of Sam's hand as it enveloped hers. She slid her hand from his, hoping not to make a complete fool of herself. "I uh… if you guys need anything, you know where I am."

Before either of them could say anything, Nicole disappeared, leaving them alone. Well, as alone as you could be with a giant room filled with numerous boxes, rows of shelves, and filing cabinets. There were a couple of desktops that Dean spotted.

He tried sprinting across the room, but Sam's hand was on his shoulder, turning him where he stood. "Where do you think you're going?"

Dean threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Research, Sammy."

Sam shook his head. "No way. If you think you're getting off easy…"

"Alright, alright, let's settle this. 2 out of 3?" Dean lifted his hands in preparation.

Sam narrowed his eyes at his big brother, mirroring his actions. "On my count."

"Wait, why your count?"

"Because, I've done my fair share of digging through dusty files."

Dean blew out a breath. "Fine, your count."

Sam smirked as each of them rest a fist on an open palm. "On 3. 1… 2… 3."

* * *

Dean climbed up a ladder at the back of the room, muttering to himself. "Stupid game."

Sam peered around the tall shelves, and gave a loud chuckle. "Always with the scissors, Dean."

"Shut up, bitch."

"Jerk!"

Dean coughed as a cloud of smoke erupted in his face as he tugged a box labeled 1833 off the tallest shelf. When Sam laughed, Dean gave a mocking laugh of his own. "Don't make me kick your ass, Sammy."

"You haven't been able to kick my ass since you were taller than me."

"Whatever." One more box was pulled from the shelf before Dean descended the ladder, and walked to the table.

The boxes landed with a dusty thud. Dean carefully lifted the lid off, not wanting to send anymore dust into his face. The files within were yellowed with age, and looked like they would fall apart if he touched them. He sighed heavily as he watched his brother in front of the computer, digging through files all without getting his hands dirty. This was going to suck.


	3. Chapter 3

Bobby scraped a hand over his face. "I turned up nothing, kid."

Dean groaned as he hung his head, squeezing the back of his neck. "Come on, Bobby."

"I can't pull something out of the air that ain't there."

"I know."

The older hunter emptied the tumbler glass on his desk. "She's strong, kid. She'll pull through."

Dean sighed heavily. Lifting his head, he met his brother's gaze, and shook his head. "I know."

"You want me to come out?"

"Sure. Another set of eyes could be useful."

"Alright, I'll be there by nightfall."

Dean dropped the phone onto the open manila folder.

"Nothing, huh?"

"No, Bobby didn't find anything. He's coming out, though. Should be here tonight."

Sam checked his watch with a yawn. "It's 9am. What d'ya say we get some food?"

As if on cue, Dean's stomach growled. "Yeah, sounds good." He stood and pulled on his leather jacket. "Maybe you could ask Nicole if she's hungry, too." Dean bobbed his eyebrows playfully.

Sam smacked Dean on the shoulder. "Shut up."

* * *

Riley fought to open her eyes, they were so heavy, just like the rest of her body. It was a struggle to even move her head. She tried to call out for Dean, but her tongue wouldn't cooperate. Something to her right beeped rapidly, fueling the panic that coursed through her. As she struggled to sit up, a sharp pain tore through her lower stomach. She wordlessly cried out in pain.

An unseen nurse ran into the room. "Easy, Detective Messer. You don't want to rip out those stitches, do you?"

Riley turned toward the calm voice. She was finally able to open her eyes a little. "What? Wh – where am I," the name tag in front of her snapped into focus, "Tilly?"

Tilly placed the stethoscope buds into her ears. "You're in the ICU. You were attacked. Don't you remember?" She focused on listening to Riley's rapidly beating heart. "Breathe, Riley. I can't get a feel for how you're doing if you don't calm down. That's it."

Confusion ate at Riley's mind as she forced herself to breathe slow and steady. When the nurse gave her a satisfied smile and removed the stethoscope, Riley cleared her throat. "Where's Dean?"

"Last I heard, he and Sam were in human resources digging through all the personnel files."

"Why would they… can you get him for me?"

Tilly nodded. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm just going to have to check your stitches first. Is that ok?"

Riley nodded quickly. "Is there… it hurts." She hissed through her teeth.

Before pulling down the blankets, Tilly placed the painkiller control switch in Riley's hand. "Push the button once every 4 hours. If the pain doesn't subside, push it again. If _that_ doesn't help, you hit the emergency button."

Riley pushed the green button, and felt an almost immediate rush of heat flow through her veins.

Tilly waited until her patient visibly relaxed before removing the blankets. She was gentle as she checked the stitches, running a gloved finger along the puckered skin. "Can you feel that? Any pain?"

"No, not really. Just pressure."

"That's a good sign. It's only been a few hours, but you look like you're healing well. The skin isn't red, hot, or torn... well... "

Riley lifted her head. "What exactly does that mean?"

Tilly placed some ointment and a new strip of gauze over the stitches, taping it before covering Riley with the blankets. "Let me get Doctor Lancaster. I'll be right back."

"Dean, too."

"Yes, sweetie. Dean, too."

* * *

Ian Lancaster slid the door open quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping detective. He picked up the chart at the end of her bed and began to flip through the pages.

Riley stirred at the almost non-existent noise, forcing her heavy lids open. "Dean?"

"Nurse Anderson is looking for him."

"Anderson?"

Lancaster smiled gently. "Tilly, she checked on you a few minutes ago."

Riley tried sitting up a little, groaning as the pain radiated into her chest.

"Here, let me help you. Tell me when to stop." Ian pushed on a button that raised the head of the bed slowly.

She grimaced as the bed shifted. It hurt to move, but it felt good at the same time. "Good, that's good."

He placed two fingers on the inside of her wrist. Dropping his eyes to his watch, he counted how many times her pulse throbbed beneath his fingers. He shook his head when it sped up. "Calm down, Riley."

"Everyone keeps telling me that."

With an arched brow, he pat her hand after releasing her wrist. "Well, maybe you should listen."

Riley licked her dry lips. "What happened, Ian? Why am I here?"

"You were attacked in the park."

"I – I don't remember anything."

Seeing her eyes fill with tears, Ian grabbed her hand. "It's ok, don't try to force it. What _do_ you remember?"

Riley shifted in the bed painfully as she dug through her memory. "Dean… I called Dean because I was bleeding."

"Good, that's good. What else?"

There was something on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach. The more she tried to focus on it, the further away it slipped. She groaned low and heavy in frustration. "I don't know."

An alarm on the monitor went off, Riley's heartrate had increased drastically. "I know you're scared, Ri, but you gotta calm down."

* * *

Echoing footfalls grabbed Nicole's attention. She looked up just as Dean and Sam entered her office. "Dean, Doctor Lancaster's been looking for you. Riley's awake."

Sam gave a nod. "Go."

Dean tore out of the office, the door slamming behind him.

Nicole tried desperately not to drag her eyes along Sam's frame as he walked over, but she failed epically. "You guys have a nice breakfast?"

Sam dropped to his elbow, leaning against the desk. "Wasn't too bad. Found a diner that was close."

"Shelby's?"

Sam's eyes lit up. "Yeah. You been there, I take it."

Nicole twirled a red pen between her fingers. "Oh yeah. They have the best cinnamon roll pancakes, next to mine of course." She winked before she could stop herself.

He chuckled low in his throat. "I'll have to remember that."

Nicole felt her cheeks grow warm. His laugh washed over her like velvet. She cleared her throat and ripped her eyes away from his. "I uh… how's the research coming?"

"Long, and slow. I thought we would have found something by now."

"Is there anything I can do to help pick up the pace?"

Sam cleared his throat suddenly. Images of things he'd like her to do flooded his mind. "Actually… I um… I think we got it handled."

Nicole's face fell. "Oh, sure. I just thought… never mind."

Sam rest an open hand on the desk. "Have you… this might sound a little weird."

"Honey, I work in HR. You have no idea how much weirdness crosses my desk on a daily basis."

Sam chuckled ruefully. "Are there any old stories about the property behind the park?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like ghost stories, or a monster that parents would tell their kids about to get them to behave."

Nicole removed her glasses. "Now that you mention it, yeah."

Sam leaned further against the desk. "Tell me."

* * *

Dean's boots squeaked on the floor as he slid into the ICU room. An alarm was going off, and that only drove him to think the worst.

Riley's eyes were brimming with tears. "Dean."

The way she said his name was the best thing he'd ever heard. He rounded the hospital bed and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head, breathing her in as he pulled away. He lifted his eyes to Ian. "Doc."

Ian nodded in greeting. "We were just going over what Riley remembered."

"You know what happened?"

Riley grabbed Dean's hand and squeezed as hard as she could. "No, I was hoping you could fill in the blanks."

Ian gave Riley's leg a soft pat. "Don't get too worked up, ok? Your body is healing, you need to be careful." The alarm slowed to a steady beep that was less worrisome.

Dean nodded curtly when Ian tapped a finger against his own heart before pointing at Riley. "It's a little elevated." Ian left the room quietly.

The monitor beeped several times as Riley's breathing quickened. "Why don't I remember, Dean?"

He dropped to the chair he had occupied earlier. "You heard what the doc said, Ri. You need to calm down."

She shook her head. "I can't remember anything. Do you know how frustrating that is?" Her voice was tight, panicked.

"I don't know, baby." He swept his thumb over the back of her hand, careful to avoid hitting the IV needle.

"Y – you think there's a case."

"Why do you say that?"

She chuckled despite the fear of the unknown that blossomed in her chest. "Tilly said you were digging through the personnel files. You wouldn't do that unless you thought there was a case."

He shot her a wink. "Can't get anything past you."

Something the nurse said earlier came back to Riley. "Tilly said that nothing was torn."

"Hmmm?"

"When she was checking my stitches."

"Isn't that normally a good thing?"

Riley shook her head, trying to clear away the fog from the liquid painkillers. "No… I mean yes, but it was all in the way she said it. Dean, what happened to me?"

Dean reached up and replaced the clear tube that provided her with oxygen behind her ear. "We're not exactly sure."

"I'm a big girl, Dean."

"I never said you weren't."

"So tell me what Ian told you."

Dean blew out a breath. "Some of the skin and tissue around the wound had to be removed."

Riley's eyes went wide. "What? Why?"

"It looks like frostbite."

"But… I don't understand."

"Riley, we don't understand either. Bobby's coming out, Waters has given us two of his men… we're all hands on deck to try and get this son of a bitch."

"It doesn't help that I don't remember anything."

"I didn't say that."

"But you were thinking it."

Dean shook his head and gave Riley's hand a firm squeeze. "No. That thought never crossed my mind, Ri."

Tears skimmed down Riley's cheeks. "It crossed mine."

"Oh, babe. We'll figure it out, ok? Whether you remember anything, or not."

Sam tapped on the door before sliding it open. "Dean, you got a sec?"

Riley wiped at her face angrily, forcing a smile when Sam poked his head in.

"What's up, Sammy?"

Sam stepped into the room with Nicole. "We might have something."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

"So there's nothing?" Jack sighed heavily as he shrank in his chair.

"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything on record regarding the property behind the park." Stephanie was irritated, and it showed in her voice. Jack had called her in the middle of the night asking strange questions.

"On record? Does that mean that something went down off the books?"

Stephanie groaned into the receiver. "Jack, come on. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah, I do. Come on, Steph."

"What is so damn important about that property?"

Jack shuddered in memory of the intense and burning cold that chilled him to his core. "We got a lead on the stabbing of Detective Messer."

Stephanie gasped, her fingers pressed against her lips. "Riley? Oh, my God, is she ok?"

Jack dragged a hand over his face. "She's in the ICU."

"Alright, let me dig into it a little further, see what I can find. And, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Start with that next time."

He chuckled low in his throat. "Got it."

Connor eyed his partner as the phone fell into the cradle. "Everything alright?"

Jack shrugged. "Apparently I left out the fact that our query was in association with Riley's attack."

Word had spread fast that an officer of the law had been savagely attacked. Reporters had staked out, filming everything they could with a wide lens, and asking questions that couldn't be answered. The deep red of an as of yet unnamed detective's blood was a stark contrast to the freshly fallen snow, the pictures would make for an attention grabbing front page. Headlines would warn families of the danger in the park: **_Are our parks safe? What about the children? Are they in harm's way? What are the police doing about it if they can't protect one of their own?_**

Connor chomped on a new piece of nicotine gum. "I'll give her that. She find anything?"

"Nothing official."

"Damn. She's always got something." With a sigh, Connor picked up a pen and began fidgeting with it.

"Not this time, man." Jack pushed away from his desk, and stood, stretching his lower back.

Sergeant Waters stuck his head out of his office. "O'Malley, Gustin." He waited until the detectives had closed the door. "Riley's awake."

Both men sighed in relief. "That's great news, boss." Connor fell into a chair. "How is she?"

"She's not out of the woods, yet. She's scared and she can't remember what happened." His already scratchy voice was strained. Riley was like a daughter to him, and he'd be damned if he was going to lose her.

"Dean and Sam find out anything?" Connor bounced his leg as he waited for the nicotine to kick in.

Hank shook his head as he took a seat behind his desk. "Nothing that I've heard. Just got a call from Lancaster saying Riley was awake."

Jack leaned against the door. "I reached out to Stephanie."

"And?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Really? _Stephanie_ couldn't find anything?" Hank scoffed in disbelief. If anyone would have any intel, it would be her.

Connor raised his eyebrow. "I said the same thing."

"She's going to keep digging, though. Maybe she'll find something."

Hank nodded at Jack. "Let's hope she does. What about you two? You got any hunches?"

Both detectives shook their heads. "If we knew more about the attack, then maybe -"

Connor nodded as he interrupted Jack. "But as it is, we don't."

"The only other bit of information Lancaster gave me was about the wound. It looked like she had frostbite along the entire length."

"Jesus." Connor and Jack spoke at the same time.

"My thoughts exactly."

Jack pushed away from the door. "What about all the old case files that aren't electronic, should we go through 'em?"

Connor stared wide-eyed up at his partner. "Are you kidding? There's gotta be about 500 boxes down there."

Jack shook his head. "So?"

Connor sighed heavily. "We might need more help."

Hank reached for his phone. "Leave that to me."

* * *

Bobby's phone buzzed against his chest. He threw the duffel in the trunk before answering the call. "Singer."

"I'm sure you've heard about Riley by now." Hank leaned back in his chair after pouring a healthy shot of whiskey.

"Sure did. I'm actually on my way out."

"Good, good."

Bobby slid behind the wheel, but didn't turn the key. "Hank, you ok?"

The sergeant clicked his tongue against his teeth as the whiskey warmed a path down his chest. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

"She'll be ok, Hank."

"Of course she will."

"After everything that girl has been through -"

"I know, Bobby."

"Alright, I'll be there by nightfall."

"Thanks, man. I owe you."

"Nah, you don't owe me nuthin'. We're family. It's what we do."

* * *

Jack started the coffee pot in the break room, casting a sideways glance at his partner. "You uh, you think your old man might be of help?"

Connor just about choked on his gum. "My old man? Why on earth would you ask that?"

Jack shrugged as the coffee began to trickle out. "He saw a lot in his day, man."

"Yeah, and it drove him crazy. Literally."

"I know, Connor. I just thought -"

Connor held a hand up, cutting off Jack's next words. "The last time I talked to him about hunting, he had to be sedated and put in solitary. For a week. No, Jack. It's not an option."

"What about your mom?"

Connor sighed. "Let it go."

"Your fifth generation, like me, there's gotta be something."

Connor cast a hard glare at his partner, his brother in arms. "Then why don't you ask your family, huh?"

"Look, I'm sorry."

"Whatever. I'll meet you down there."

* * *

Three sets of eyes were heavy on Nicole, she felt as if the weight of them would knock her over. She stepped further into the room so Sam could slide the door closed. "Messer, glad to see you're awake."

"Call me Riley, please."

"I'm Nicole." She held out her hand as she crossed the room. Riley's hand was cold to the touch.

Truth be told, the detective felt the chill in her core, as if it had settled into her bones and she'd never be warm again. "Nice to meet you."

Large green eyes met everyone else's. "I… I'm not sure how this will help."

Sam rest a hand on her shoulder, rubbing his thumb against her cranberry cardigan. "It will help, trust me."

"Ok… it might sound crazy." The weight of Sam's hand was comforting, as if she could tell him anything in the world, as if he would keep her safe at all costs.

Dean chuckled as he unfolded a blanket, covering his shivering girlfriend. "Sweetheart, we're experts in crazy."

Riley squeezed Dean's hand in appreciation. She shook her head when Nicole's brows knitted together. "I'll fill you in on that statement later, Nicole. But please, tell us what you know."

Nicole nodded as she pushed her glasses up into her hair. "It was the late 1800's, almost the turn of the century. There was a freak snow storm across Chicago. The town was cut from everything; mail, incoming and outgoing supplies, anything you can think of."

"We just had a storm last night." Riley shifted in the bed, the morphine had begun to wear off.

"This storm was nothing in comparison. Almost one-fourth of the town's population died from the extreme cold. That's not the weird part."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Of course not."

"Dude, would you let her finish." Sam glared at his brother.

"Sorry."

Nicole gave a wave of her hand. "It's ok. So, about a month after the storm, people started packing up what they could and tried getting out of town."

"I thought you said everything was cut off?"

Sam scoffed at Dean. "Seriously?"

"It was. All the roads were snowed in. There was no way in or out."

Riley cleared her throat after the push of the green button. "So what happened?"

"The property behind the park? It was a huge lake that was used for transport when the roads weren't safe, and for neighboring towns that had no direct path to Chicago. But when the townspeople went to board their boats, they were gone. In fact, the whole lake was gone."

Sam arched a brow at his brother. "Everything was frozen."

"What happened to the townspeople?" Riley fought back a yawn as the morphine began to dull the pain.

"Most of them turned around, they were too scared. The ones that tried venturing out never made it back. But that's when people started talking about hearing singing."

"Singing?"

Nicole nodded at Dean. "Yeah. The people that didn't attempt the journey heard someone singing. That they felt this sort of pull to turn around and go back."

Riley tugged on Dean's hand, staring up at him with large eyes. "A siren?"

"But how? I mean, I thought they only travelled on the ocean."

Sam shrugged. "And what's with all the ice?"

Nicole cleared her throat. "What do you mean, a siren? The creatures that would lull pirates to their deaths? That's just... a... a fairy tale."

Sam shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "I think it's about time we told you what it is we really do.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

__**Myshka** = little mouse  
 **Malysh** = baby  
 **Sestra** = sister

* * *

Connor tried to squash the craving for a cigarette by chewing on another piece of gum. He had always been more of a stress smoker, and right now, one could say he was stressed. The situation with Riley was hard enough, but add in the conversation about his father, and he was more than ready to empty a couple magazines on the gun range.

Deep down, he knew that Jack was right. Utilizing his father's mind was a good idea. He was just so damn fragile. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe he wouldn't scream, and claw at his own eyes. Maybe was the key word. But Connor didn't want to take that chance. Not when the doctors said that the next episode could kill him. He made a mental note to call his mother first, see what she had to say about the whole thing.

He absentmindedly grabbed a dusty box from the shelf and dug in, waiting for Jack.

* * *

Jack stepped off the elevator with two cups of coffee, and found his partner hidden behind several boxes. He held a cup around one box. "I come in peace."

Connor chuckled, palming the hot mug. "Peace offering accepted."

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to cross that line."

Connor gave a sigh as he leaned back in the chair. "Really, it's ok. You're right, about my dad. He has seen a lot of weird things in his time."

Jack sat on the edge of the table, resting an arm on the boxes. "It's your call, man."

He rubbed at his tired eyes with a groan. "Let me talk to my mom first, ok?"

"I'll give mine a call, too. There has to be something we can use."

* * *

The woman breathed heavily, her breath fogging the air in front of her. "Sestra, we cannot wait any longer."

The tall blonde jogged over, joining her sister at the edge of the woods. "No."

"Nat, how can you be calm? We did not feed fully last time." Her thick, accented voice was barely a whisper.

"That is not my fault. You went out without permission. Your meal was unscheduled, and because you were careless, we were nearly found. There are hunters here, myshka. We must be more careful."

The younger one dropped her head, snow white hair falling into her face. "For that, I am deeply sorry."

Natasha placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, sighing gently. "It will be alright, I promise." They waited, watching as people passed, hurrying home, desperate to get out of the winter air.

It felt like they would go another night without a meal until Natasha's skin began to glow. "Come, Galina, it is time."

Galina's eyes darted around, seeking out their prey. She moaned low in anticipation. "Oh yes, this one will do nicely. May I?"

Natasha nodded, removing the hand from her sister's shoulder. "Go on, myshka. I am right behind you."

The younger sister pulled in a deep breath as she ran her fingers through her hair. When she opened her eyes, they glowed brightly. The light moved under her skin, spreading over every inch of her body, as she began to sing. The melody was light, pleasant, soulful, and hypnotic. No one had been able to resist their song.

The man that Natasha spotted, stopped walking away from the park. He turned in time to see a woman step out of the woods, her arms held out to him, beckoning him to her with her song, and her body. His eyes glowed as he fell under her spell, and a smile overtook his mouth as he began to run to her, like they knew each other, like they were lovers.

His hands dove through her hair. "My love, where have you been?"

"Right here, malysh. I have been waiting for you." She pressed against him, making sure he felt every dip and curve.

He shuddered against her, a mixture of extreme cold, and arousal flooded through him. "I'm never letting you out of my sight."

She smiled wickedly as the hand on his stomach began to change into a frozen weapon. "And I will never let you."

He covered her mouth with his, kissing her as if his very life depended on it. She grabbed at the back of his neck, holding him tight as she stabbed him. His eyes snapped open as she swallowed the scream that tore out of him.

Natasha joined them, grabbing his face from her sister's. His eyes glowed brighter yet, the scream trapped in his throat by the presence of more power. "Myshka, how does he taste?"

Galina licked her lips, quivering in anticipation. "Sweet, Sestra. He is so sweet."

Instead of screaming, the man groaned, the need to kiss the new arrival was overpowering. He shifted, turning to face her as she pulled him down roughly. The movement drug the ice cold weapon across his lower stomach, but he didn't feel any pain, or the warmth of blood as it rushed out.

It was Natasha's turn to taste him. Her hands grabbed at his hair as their mouths met, tongues thrusting together. To him, the kiss tasted cold, dark, powerful, and he craved more of it. It made his heart beat faster, pumping the blood out like water from a broken dam. His knees began to shake, his breath hitched in his lungs as his body began to die.

Natasha gently rode him to the snow covered ground, moaning as she swallowed the last bit of his essence.

The weapon that was Galina's hand began to change from ice to flesh, and bone, the glow fading. She wiggled her blood soaked fingers, and began to suck them clean.

Natasha sat up with a gasp, her body shuddered atop his as he went limp. The glow he had while under their spell was gone, leaving him white as the snow he died upon. She watched Galina shudder in delight as she tasted the man's blood. "Sestra, tell me."

Galina fell to her knees, her hand held out. She looked at her sister through lust-filled eyes. "Taste. Words will not do it justice."

Natasha grabbed her sister's wrist, licking hesitantly along her palm, and wrist. Despite the extreme cold surrounding them, the blood was warm, intoxicating. All the fear, and arousal the man felt while he died was in his blood. Gone was the bitter taste of iron. In its place was sweet excitement, thick, and addictive.

With a shrill scream, the sisters dove at the man, draining him of every last drop.

* * *

"So you're telling me that everything we were told to fear as a child is real?" Nicole stared at Sam with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Everything." He licked his lips nervously. What if she thought they were crazy? What if she ran screaming out of the room? He wasn't sure why he cared so much about what she thought of him, but he did. His stomach twisted into knots as her eyes softened.

Nicole swallowed hard, turning to meet Riley's tired gaze. "And you go around… killing them."

"They do, yeah. I just help cover up their tracks most of the time. 90% of what they do isn't legal. We won't even talk about Dean being legally dead." The morphine had loosened Riley's tongue as well as her muscles.

The petite blonde gave Dean a confused look. He just shrugged in response. She gave a curt nod before facing the tall hunter at her side. "Ok."

Sam rubbed at the back of his neck. "Ok?"

"Yeah."

"So… you believe us?" Sam's eyes darted to his brother's.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. It's just not something we're used to."

"To be honest, I always believed that there was some truth to all the myths, and legends. So… where do we go from here?"

Riley chuckled as she snuggled into her pillow. "We… jumping in already. I like you."

Dean gave his girlfriend a hand, pulling the thick blanket up to her chin. "Well, to be honest, we don't know what we're dealing with. We need to know if any other people, living or dead, have had this kind of injury."

Nicole nodded as she pulled the glasses from her hair. "I can help with that."

Sam cleared his throat. "You sure? We don't want you to get into trouble."

"Why would I get into trouble?"

He shrugged a large shoulder. "HIPAA laws, and all that."

She gave a wave of her hand, blue nail polish flickered in the dim light. "We're not giving out information or anything like that. Plus, it's all to help nab the 'bad guy' in a police investigation, right?"

Before anyone could answer, Sam's phone buzzed. "Bobby, you're on speaker."

Bobby's normally gruff voice crackled with static. "Waters called, they got a body."

Everyone but Riley groaned, she had begun to fall asleep. "Where?"

"Same place as you, darlin'. I'm about an hour out, told him you'd be on your way."

"We'll see you there." He disconnected the call with a swipe of his thumb.

Nicole, new to the situation, shifted her feet. "I'll start digging through the electronic files, see if I find anything useful."

Dean dropped a kiss to Riley's temple, she had fallen asleep before Sam pocketed his phone. "Thanks, Nicole."

"And guys?" The brothers both hummed in response. "Be careful."

Dean shot the newest member to their group a playful wink. "This is what we do, darlin'."

Sam rolled his eyes as his brother walked out of the room. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not thinking we're crazy."

"I told you –"

"Yeah, still feels good to have someone believe you."

Nicole grabbed his large hand. "I believe you, Sam. Now go, before your brother wears a hole in the ground."

Sam chuckled when he saw his brother pacing outside the room. Dean tapped his watch before giving a wave. "Never been the patient kind." He swept his thumb over the back of her much smaller hand, reveling in how soft her skin was against his rougher, work worn skin.

Dean poked his head in the room, irritation edged his voice. "Come on, Sammy."

Nicole went against every fiber in her being, and pulled her hand from Sam's. "Go."

Riley chuckled when the door slid closed behind Sam. "He likes you."

Nicole spun on her heel, her hand pressed to her heart. "Shit! You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Heavy lids struggled to open.

"You should be sleeping." Nicole was at Riley's side, her hands trying to press the detective back into her pillow.

"Should be, yeah, but I'm not."

"Riley." Her voice was stern, that of someone in an authoritative position. "They've got it taken care of. You're of no use to them if you injure yourself further."

With a huff, Riley stopped fighting the surprisingly strong grip of Nicole. "Alright, alright."

* * *

The park was bathed in red, and blue lights. Hank, Jack, and Connor were standing by the body when Sam, and Dean arrived. Each man gave a nod in greeting, hands were shoved deep into warm pockets, and feet stamped down the blood laden snow in a futile attempt to get warm.

Hank's gravelly voice filled the silence between the men. "Name's Mark Robinson, 35. He was on his way home from the convenience store. We got him, and only him on two security cameras. No perp, no sound, nothing."

Dean scraped a hand over his face. "Son of a bitch."

Sam knelt down, lifting the white sheet to get a better look at the body. "Jesus."

"My thoughts exactly, kid. You guys find out anything?"

The four younger men all shook their heads. "We're gonna put some feelers out."

Connor nodded in agreement with his partner. "I already made a call."

Hank shuffled on his feet. "Your old man? How is he doing?"

The detective shrugged. "You know how it is. He has his good days. More bad than good lately."

"Tell him I said hi when you see him, ok?"

"Are we chasing our tails, looking in old records?"

Hank inclined his head at Dean. "I think so. I'm not sure anything like this will be on record. But –"

"It wouldn't hurt to look."

"We got someone at the hospital who said she'd help."

Connor cut Sam with a look. "You wanna just take out an ad on the front page of the paper?"

"Calm down, man. Nicole can keep a secret."

"You sure about that?"

Sam squared his shoulders. "Bet my life on it."

Connor nodded curtly. "Alright."

"Bobby said he's close, Hank. You wanna wait here, or meet at the morgue?"

Hank looked at Dean, sighing not very gently. "Let's go, get out of the cold. I'll give the old man a call."

* * *

Nicole sat down at her desk, and worked her fingers against the keyboard, typing out a search for the electronic files. Any files that had the words frostbite, abdominal wound, and amnesia were searched. As the computer read through hundreds of thousands of files, Nicole drummed her fingers against a notepad.

Familiarity brushed at the back of her mind like a feather, running away into the darkness the moment she tried to focus on it. She growled in frustration, the more she focused on it, the more confused she felt. The computer continued its search until finally, it beeped.

"Finally."

_10 results found._

"Better than nothing."


End file.
